"I hate to say a lineman can do that," coach Bill Snyder said Friday at K-State's media day. "He can get higher on the backboard, let me put it that way."

Fitzgerald, a high school basketball standout, knows how to operate around the glass. He's equally adept at performing in the trenches, meaning K-State will count on the senior transfer to help anchor its defensive line.

"He does possess some athletic capabilities," Snyder said. "We just have to use him in the right way."

Fitzgerald displayed those capabilities in two seasons at Virginia, earning freshman All-America honors in 2006 and recording 73 tackles and seven sacks in 2007.

Fitzgerald has encountered his share of obstacles since then, including academic difficulties at Virginia, shoulder surgeries, the dismissal of K-State coach Ron Prince and an offseason DUI arrest.

With all of that behind him, Fitzgerald is understandably excited to suit up for K-State's season opener. It will be his first game action since he took the field for Virginia in the 2008 Gator Bowl.

"It's been over a year," Fitzgerald said. "When I get out there Sept. 5, it's going to be a homecoming."

With another freshman All-American, defensive end Brandon Harold, lining up beside Fitzgerald, the defensive line is expected to be one of K-State's strengths.

It will have to be, Fitzgerald said, if the Wildcats hope to correct some of the defensive issues that plagued them a year ago.

"I guess it's a somewhat biased opinion, but it starts up front," Fitzgerald said. "Everything can be won or lost up in the trenches.

"I'm not sure of the stats, but our defense was one of the lowest-rated defenses. We know that, we acknowledge that, and we're really looking forward to turning things around."

The stats, just for clarification, were ugly. K-State surrendered 217 rushing yards and 479 yards of total offense per game, a number that ranked 117th out of 119 Bowl Subdivision teams.

There's hope that a more experienced line will help the Wildcats reverse some of those trends. The Wildcats will have senior Eric Childs, a third-year starter, working at one defensive end spot, and senior Daniel Calvin returns at defensive tackle.

Then there's Harold, who recorded 10.5 tackles for loss and three sacks as a true freshman. The numbers could have been gaudier, but Harold played many of his snaps at defensive tackle during the second half of last season.

Harold should be back at defensive end this season, and Fitzgerald expects the 6-foot-6 sophomore to be a focal point for opposing offensive lines.

"As you saw from last year, he's a great player, a great talent," Fitzgerald said. "I'm sure he'll have a lot of attention on him based on the year he had. If I can hold my part up and take some pressure off him, hopefully both of us can have a great year this year."